Laminated spring



July 22 1924. '1,502,167

F. T. WESTON LAMINATED SPRING Filed Oct. 22. 1923 STATES s amlzgNTv orifice. f

FREDERICK THOMAS WESTON, or LONDON, ENGLAND.

LAMINATED srnine.

Application yfiled O'ctober22, 1923. 'Serial No. 670,082.

T 0 allfwhom it may concern Be it known that I, FRnDnRroK THOMAS WESTON, a subject of the VKing of Great Britain, residing at No. 3, Pembroke `Mew`s, Belgrave Square, Halkin Street, London, England, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in or Relating to Laminated Springs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention comprises improvements in or relating to laminated springs, yand the principal object of the invention is to improveantrfriction devices of the .kind comlprising balls or rollers carried in sheet metal cages adapted for insertion between the leavesof laminated springs such as are used on vehicles, for the purpose lof improving the spring action.

According to this invention, a system of balls or rollers is held in a cage constructed of two perforated blades held one on the other and fastened together with their inner surfaces in close contact. These anti-friction Adevices when inserted between the leaves of laminated springs on motor cars, are so leffective that they not only prevent excessive -vibration of the body supported Yon the spring, but also substantially reduce the risk 0f skidding. l

In order to enable the invention to be readily understood reference is made to the accompanying drawing in which lFigure 1 is a plan of an anti-'friction device constructedin accordance with these improvements.

Figure 2 is an edge view of a portion of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a transverse section to a larger scale, on the line III-III of Figure 1.

Figure A is an elevation of a spring having the improved anti-friction devices applied between certain of its leaves.

According to the construction seen in Figures 1 to 3, the improved anti-friction device comprises a ball cage formed of two thin steel blades a a having a number of holes drilled through them at appropriate points. These holes are countersunk, as by the formation of a suitable concavity around each hole in one surface of each blade. The blade a is laid flat and a hard steel ball b is placed in each concavity or countersink thereof. The companion blade a is then laid down iiat upon the first, as seen in Figure 3, and 4 so `that its concavities or countersinks come `down upon the balls `b arranged on the blade a. The twoblades with their respective surfaces in contact areA then fastened together, 5

as by aline of rivets c. Three rivets maybe sufficient along the centre line ofthe 'blades, 4as shown, one near each end and one inthe middle as indicated in Figure 1. VTheba'lls, ZJ, enclosedbetween the concavities, project through the'holes beyond` the outer surfaces of the blades as v vill'bev seen from Figures 2and3. A cage device of this blade-like constructionis inserted between the lleaves of alarn-v inated spring cl, as indicated in Figure 4. This 1is accomplished by loosening' the clampingbolts of the spring so as to permit the leaves toi'be separated suiliciently for thel Itis 1 insertion of the anti-friction device. generally found to be advantageous in a motor vehicle spring, to Einsert one blade device between the top leaf and the secondleaf and a second blade device between the second and third leaves. However, all leaves ofa laminated spring may be separated by the interposition of these blade devices if 'Kdesired. In the case of the semi-elliptic spring illustratedy in Figure 1, the blade devices may be made of alittle less than one half theY length of the appropriate leavesv of the spring, so that one blade device would be inserted from they left hand end and a second blade ,-device would be inserted .from the right hand end; The inner ends of the blade devices would be cut off square, as shown in Figure 1 at e, and that end would be inserted so as to comeaboututo the middle of the spring. The opposite end would be shaped, 4as shown at f in Figure 1, soqas to conform with4 the shaping of theends ofthe leaves of the spring and this'enrd would coincide with the end of the leafupon which it rests after insertion. VVVithlthis construction, the blade devices are applicable to eX- isting springs merely by loosening the clamps, insertingthe devices and re-tightening the clamps, the blade devices being then reliably secured in position in the springs. However, the blade devices may be made of the same length and shape as the leaves of the springs upon which they are torest, in which case it is generally necessary to take the spring to pieces in order to positionthe blade devices between the desired rleaves of the spring. i

When the blade devices are in place, any flexing of the spring causes the leavestorub upon the anti-friction'bearing provided ,by

the projecting portions of thetball's, instead Vof the surface of one leaf rubbing frictionally against'the Vsurface of anotherV leaf.

As Will be seen-from `Figure l, "the holes for theballs are advantageously drilled at ay uniform distance apart along the respective side edge portions ofeach blade. Also, they.V

are drilled around the shaped end portion of; each blade-but at a less dist-ance apart for the reason that the end portions of the leaves of the springV are subjected tothe 4 greatest? amount of rubbing action and i Vtherefore need more points of anti-fric- `tional bearing. 4

e IObviously, by suitably shaping the holes in the plates ma short rollers, the axes of which extend transversely, of the said plates,

may be used instead of balls b as herein described. i i

Y It Will be noted that my construction differsfrom similar devices in the following particulars z' l Y l l The perforations are shaped Wholly With- Y in the blade thickness,there being no struck `gupfor marginal portions around the perfora- Ations for the purpose of caging the balls.

My blades have fiat surfaces, and by hold- VHing the balls Witliinvtlie thickness of the blades, I avoid the releasing of the balls from the blade When the blade is flexed. My blades are self-contained units, and in this respect differ from those structures Where the anti-friction devices are free "to i L fall out. ^My blades are not short shoes for thetips of 'the spring leaves only, but are` co-extensive Y'with the spring leaves, and

need no specialsecuring devices but are "heldby the spring clips usually present in springs. y e

, My vblades are very flexible, and freely follovvV the bending of the spring leaves, and are therefore free of lateral flanges or partialflanges that 'reduce the flexibility.'

AThe antiffriction devices are placed more closely togetherwhere the maximum Wear between the leaves occurs, i. e. near Ytlietips ofthe spring leaves, and less closely toward' the holding clips, Where little flexure o ccurs, and are absent at those vportions Where Y nol flexure occurs.

These units have proven by actual useto Y fulfil the requirements, not only when they are included in the spring by the manufacturer, but are leasilyv inserted Without dismantling a spring already installed on a Vehicle.

I claim l. An improved anti-friction device for laminated springs comprising tivo flexible jperforated blades co-extensive With the leavesV of the springs and fastened flat 1 againsteach other with the perforations in Y `register and anti-friction devices retained in fand lprotruding through kthe said perforations forming a self-contained structure free i to partake of the iexure ofV the springs,

structure Vfreeto partakegof the-WflexureV of i Vthe springs YWithout releasing said ballsor Y rollers, substantially as set forth.

3. An improved anti-friction-device for laminated springs, comprising tvvo Aflexible perforated blades corextensive Withl the leaves of the springs and fastenedV flat vagainst each other with the perforations in register, the said perforations beingmore Widely spaced apart alongthe straight side edge portions of the blades than at the `end portions of the blades, and antifriction de-M vices retained inand protruding through said perforations forming a self-contained structure free to partake Vof the flexure @of the springs Without releasing-the` anti-friction devices, substantially as set'forth. y

,kan improved 'anti-friction device for laminated springs, comprising,tivoy flexible perforated blades substantially cci-extensive with the spring leaves having shapedends Vconforming to the shape of the spring leaf ends and vfastenediflat against eacliotlier' with the perforations in register, awvvider spacing apart of the perforations being adopted along the Astraight side edge portions ofthe blades than around the shaped end portions, and antifriction devices re-v tained in and protruding through said perforations said device forming a selfcontained unit free to partake of the iiexure of the springs Without releasing the anti-fric tion devices, substantially as set-ff'irth `f ;V

5. An improved anti-friction deviclofthe character referred to,r in Which the Vjgierforated blades are made of two portions',"each a little less than half the length ofthe appro-r l n priate leaves of the laminated springland a self containedunitY free to Aparta-keof, the

fiexure of the spring, substantially as and ,for .the purpose described. Y Y l 6, An improved anti-friction device for laminated springs, comprising tvvo thin fiexible steel blades having counter-sunk perforations at appropriate points'free of projecting margins and substantially coexteiisive With the spring leaf and fastened'to- Y gether flatagainsteach other with the perforations in register and anti-friction balls or rollers enclosed between 'the concaviti'es formed bythe countersinks in the blades and protruding through suchperforations, said deviceforming a selffcontained unit free A.to

partake of the flexure of the springs Without releasing the anti-friction balls or rollers, substantially as set forth.

7. An anti-friction unit for insertion between the leaves of a laminated spring, comprising two thin flexible steel blades of a little less than half the length of the appropriate leaves of the laminated spring and having countersunk perforations at appropriate points free of projecting margins, the said blades being fastened together flat against each other with the perforations in register and anti-friction devices enclosed between the concavities formed by the countersinks in the blades and protruding through such perforations, said unit self-contained and partaking of the flexure of the springs 'without releasing the anti-friction devices, substantially as set forth.

8. An anti-friction unit for insertion between the leaves of a laminated spring coinprising two thin flexible steel blades of a little less than half the length of the appropriate leaves of the spring and having one end cut off square and theI other end shaped so as to conform to the shaping of the ends of the spring, the said blades having perforations along the side edges and perforations around the shaped end and the first-mentioned perforations .being spaced wider apart than those last-mentioned, means for fastening the plates together "flat against each other with the perforations in one plate in register with the perforations in the other, and anti-friction balls retained between the perforations in the blades and protruding through such perforations so as to present anti-friction surfaces, said unit self contained and free to partake of the iiexure of the spring without releasing the balls, sul stantially as set forth.

9. An anti-friction unit for insertion'between the leaves of ay laminated spring comprising two thin flexible steel blades of a little less than half the length of the appropriate leaves of the springand having one end cut off square and the other end shaped so as to conform to theshaping of the ends ofthe spring, the said blades having countersunk perforations along the side edges and similar perforations around the shaped end and the first-mentioned perforations being spaced wider apart than those last-inentioned, means for fastening the plates together flat against each other with the perorations in one plate in register with the perforations in the other and anti-friction balls retained between the concavities formed by the eountersinlrs in the blades and protruding through such perforations so as to present anti-friction surfaces said unit self contained and free to partake of the lexure of the spring without releasing the balls, substantially as set forth.

10. An anti-friction unit composed of two flexible'steel blades having perforations substantially free from marginal projections and fastened flat together by rivets, and balls held between the blades in the registering perforations and projecting slightly therefrom, said unit self contained, substantially co-eXtensive with the spring blades between which they shall be inserted and free to partake of the .flexure of the spring without releasing the balls.

FREDERICK THOMAS WESTON. 

